Is anyone here familiar with these DV books from O'Reilly? I am considering them.

DV Filmmaking - ?url? http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dvfilmmaking/?/url?
Digital Video Production Cookbook - ?url? http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/digvidprod/?/url?
Digital Video Hacks - ?url? http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/digitalvideohks?/url?

Also, is a Panasonic PV-GS500 decent for an absolute beginner to work with? Obviously a professional HD camera like the Canon XLH1 would be ideal, but there is no way I can afford that. Maybe I can save up for a Panasonic AG-DVC7 though. Any thoughts? I am basically broke but eager to get started learning, hands on. A couple years ago, I purchased some books on screenwriting, and ever since I've been curious about filmmaking. I would like to produce my own movies with my own scripts.

Here are a few links you may find helpful:
Filmmaking books:
http://www.filmmaking.net/store/category.asp?id=1

Camera advice:
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4527
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4479
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4183

Financing
http://www.filmmaking.net/faq/categories/category13.asp

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Will I need any additional equipment other than a tripod? Should I invest in a dolly or crane?

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A dolly and crane can greatly enhance the look of your movie. It takes skilled people to operate them and are usually rental items. A beginning fil mmaker with a ridiculously low budget doesn't really need to own either one.

A good microphone is essential. What you're looking for is a good shotgun mic. That in itself is a generic term that means any long barreled mic. You want a good condenser (externally powered) mic with a ?lobar? pick up pattern to put on your boom pole. Lobar pick up means the mic focuses its audio pick up to a narrow area. This is why you want to use a boom pole to get the mic as close the the actor as possible - you?ll get clean dialogue tracks with less ambient noise.

There are three main suppliers of shotgun mics:

?url? http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/?/url?
Sennheiser is the mic most used by professional sound recordists. They are expensive and worth it. Check out the ME-66 and the ME-67.

?url? http://www.audio-technica.com/?/url?
Audio-Technica makes great mic?s and they?re cheaper. Check out the AT835b.

?url? http://www.azdencorp.com/?/url?
I?ve never used Azden mic?s. They?re inexpensive but I?ve don?t hear too many good things about them.

A good mic is an investment. It will last longer than your ca mera - why skimp?

The further away the mic is from the actors, the higher the volume needs to be. The higher the volume, the more ?noise? you get. Your goal is to have a very high signal to noise ratio - more signal (the dialogue) less noise (the background). Even a very good, expensive Sennheiser mounted on the camera will pick up a lot of background ambiance because it?s far away from the actors.

So you need a boom pole. This can be as simple as a painters pole with a microphone shock mount on it - or a 3 or 4 section, expandable Carbon Fiber, Graphite Fiber or Aluminum boom pole. The lighter the pole the better. Expandable is also very convenient. A pole that?s a fixed six or eight feet (painters pole) can pose problems if you?re shooting in a small space like a bathroom or small apartment or if the boom operator needs to be twelve to fifteen feet away to be out the the lights.

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What recommendations do you have for lighting?

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Lowel makes nice kits. Tungsten lights with stands, barndoors and hard case. You can also check Arri lights - more expensive and worth every penny. Not the Lowel kits are bad - I have a 6 light kit with the Omni?s and Tota?s that I bought new in 1985 and am still using is 16 years later. Check ?url? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/?/url?

For a nice beginning light kit I recommend:
A couple of work light with stands from any home improvement store.
Five or six ?scoop lights? - those clamp up work light with the silver reflector.
Three or four pieces of foam core from any art supply store to use to bounce the light.
Two or three paper lanterns that you can get at Ikea. I hook each one to a dimmer (home improvement store again) to get better control.
Some colored gels (check on line or if there is a small theater in your town they often have extras) and some black wrap. Check ?url? http://www.studiodepot.com/store/?/url?

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How do I go about the casting process and picking locations to film?

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At first, while you are still learning, I suggest using your friends as actors. Once you have made a few movies and are more experienced you can start holding auditions. Write scripts that only use locations you are familiar with. No real need to do a big courthouse scene right away - write scripts you can shoot in a local park, in your friends homes or any place where you already know the people. After you have made a few movies and have some experience, you can start asking for bigger locations.

Regarding contracts and permits and investors: slow down a little. Contracts and permits are necessary. But maybe not right now. Shooting a scene with a few friends in your grandparents living room doesn't need all that.

Investors are looking for a return on their investment. Again I suggest you take small steps and learn the skills and craft of making movies before you approach investors. You can always ask the people who already know you and believe in you (friends and family) to invest in YOU. The chances of your first few movies actually getting released and earning a profit are pretty slim.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)